Notice

SBRI competition guidance: detection and identification of illicit postal goods at UK border

Published 26 November 2018

This notice was withdrawn on 13 February 2019

This competition is no longer open for applications. Search current funding opportunities.

1. Dates and deadlines

Competition opens	3 December 2018
Briefing event in London	3 December 2018
Final date for competition registration	Midday 16 January 2019
Submission of the full application including appendices	Midday 23 January 2019
Decision to applicants	15 March 2019
Phase 1 contracts awarded	12 April 2019
Feedback provided	12 April 2019

These guidance notes complement the invitation to tender which can be found on the FTP site. They are designed to help with completing the application form.

Please read the full set of competition documents on the FTP site before you make your application.

2. Funding

The Home Office will fund up to £1,250,000, including VAT, for this competition, as part of the Detection Services Industry Challenge.

This competition has 2 phases. We have allocated up to £250,000 for phase 1 and up to £1 million for phase 2.

3. How to apply

Before you apply into this SBRI competition, it is important to understand the whole application process. The information below is specific to this competition and may differ from Innovate UK’s general guidance for applicants.

All applications will be treated in confidence.

You must complete the form and submit it as directed. We strongly advise you read the accompanying guidance notes before you submit.

You must follow the directions in the guidance. Do not send by post or any other means than as directed in the guidance.

Assessment

Once the competition submission deadline is reached, your application is sent for assessment.

Notification

We will notify you of the outcome of your application on the date stated in the timeline.

Feedback

We will give feedback to successful and unsuccessful applicants approximately 4 weeks after you have been notified of the decision. You can access the feedback by signing in to the secure website where you uploaded your application documents. No additional feedback can be provided and there will be no further discussion on the application.

4. The application form

This section explains the structure of the application form and offers guidance on what to answer in each question.

The structure is as follows, and all sections are mandatory:

• application details
• title and abstract for publication
• competition questions
• technical team and expertise
• application finances
• additional questions
• declarations

Please make sure that you upload the final version of your application by the deadline. It is your responsibility to ensure that you do not upload a blank or incomplete application form.

Read these notes together with the application form. They are designed to help you to provide the information required. Do not exceed the text limits or your application will be rejected.

A reference number will be emailed to you once you have registered for the competition. You must register separately for each application you want to submit.

Complete the application form using a font size no smaller than 10 (Arial). Keep the use of acronyms to a minimum and be sure to define them. Only use acronyms where a term is mentioned frequently throughout the proposal. Bear in mind that individual sections of the application may be read separately during the selection process.

In order for your application to be accepted you must submit all the required information. This includes all mandatory fields from the application form. Failure to complete these fields will result in your application being rejected on the grounds that it is incomplete.

5. Competition questions

The following are all mandatory fields.

Field	Guidance
1. Application
Project title	Enter the full title of the project. Be descriptive and concise. Use keywords relevant to the project.
Contract duration (months)	Projects must be completed within 3 months. Requests for more than 3 months will be rejected.
Total contract cost (£)	Proposed projects can request a maximum total cost of £50,000, including VAT. Requests for more than £50,000, including VAT, will be rejected.
Proposed start date	Enter the estimated start date.
What is the best way to describe your innovation?	Select from the options.
2. Application details	Please submit all the details requested in the application form.
3. Contact details	Give the lead applicant’s name, post held, company name, position and so on. Lead applicants are expected before submitting applications, to have discussed their proposals with their own company or any other body whose co-operation will be required in the conduct of the project. By submitting the application you are confirming that the information given, in this application, is complete and that you are actively engaged in this project and responsible for its overall management and agree to administer the award if made. In addition, please provide details of where you heard about the competition.

4. Title and abstract for publication

Provide a brief, public facing description of the project. Should your project be successful, this information will be made public once the award is confirmed. We reserve the right to amend the description before publication if necessary, but will consult you about any changes.

5. Description of proposed idea or technology

Avoiding the use of unnecessary technical jargon, describe clearly how the proposed project will deliver the outcomes as described in the competition documentation.

You may wish to attach an image or diagram separately with the application form. This can be a maximum of 2 A4 pages and must be submitted in PDF format.

6. Technical project summary

Provide a structured summary of the technical basis of the project. Outline the background to the technology, including what the innovation is, and the key deliverables. This would typically involve highlighting the research and development that will prove the scientific and commercial merit of the project. Also describe what might be achieved by deploying the innovation to address the technical challenges.

7. Current state of the art and intellectual property (IP)

Please provide details of any competing technologies or market alternatives and the relative benefits of the proposed technology. Include details of any existing IP and its significance to your freedom to operate.

8. Project plan and methodology

The project plan must identify the major packages of work within the project, with well defined milestones and deliverables. The plan for phase 1 must be comprehensive. For phase 2 only an outline is required. The emphasis throughout must be on practicality. We are seeking evidence that the technology works, can be made into a viable product and can achieve the proposed benefits. Appropriate record-keeping and reporting are essential but reports are not in themselves the main goal of the project.

You must:

• supply a Gantt chart in PDF format
• provide an indication of how any IP which might arise during the project would be handled
• allow for the preparation of a detailed plan for phase 2, towards the end of phase 1

Project management

Identify the project management processes that you will use to ensure that milestones are achieved in a timely manner. Provide details of identified risks and mitigation actions.

If you are applying from a university or other non-commercial organisation, include details of your plan for commercialisation of the results of your project.

9. Technical team and expertise

Provide a detailed description of the skills, expertise and track record of the team, including the relevant knowledge and skills of each member and the proportion of their time that will be spent on the project. Describe any relevant commercial and management expertise.

10. Application finances

The costs you quote must reflect actual costs at a “fair market value” and not include profit.

Provide a summary of costs for phase 1, and justify each. All costs must include VAT. If there is significant use of subcontractors, explain how these will be used and the costs of each. Note that the assessors are required to judge the application finances in terms of value for money. In other words, does the proposed cost for effort and deliverables reflect a fair market price?

The costs should cover the following, as applicable.

Directly incurred costs

These are costs that are specific to the project. They will be charged to the project as the amount actually spent. They must be fully supported by an audit record in justification of a claim. They comprise:

• labour costs for all those contributing to the project broken down by individual
• material costs (including consumables specific to the project)
• capital equipment costs
• sub-contract costs
• travel and subsistence
• indirect costs
• other costs specifically attributed to the project

Indirect costs

Indirect costs should be charged in proportion to the amount of effort deployed on the project. Calculate them using your own cost rates. They can include:

• general office and basic laboratory consumables
• library services and learning resources
• typing and secretarial
• finance, personnel, public relations and departmental services
• central and distributed computing
• cost of capital employed
• overheads

Itemisation of costs and methods of calculation may be requested to support the application at a later date.

You must also give indication of the potential costs involved in participating in phase 2.

Progression to phase 2 is dependent upon successful completion of phase 1 and on phase 2 application and assessment.

11. Commercial potential

Provide details of the clear commercial potential to lead to a marketable product, process or service, a clear plan to deliver that and a route to market.

Describe the significance of the competitive advantage which this technology affords over existing or alternative technologies that can meet the market needs

12. Declarations

You must tick the box or the application will be rejected.

Note the data sharing declaration and draft contract terms you are agreeing to by submitting your application.